Master of Applied Science (MASc) in Electrical and Computer Engineering - Quantum Information

The program information below was valid for the spring 2023 term (May 1, 2023 - August 31, 2023). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

• Admit term(s) 
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Length of program 
  • The minimum period of registration for the Master's degree is two terms after an Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent. The maximum time limit is six terms for the regular program and fifteen terms for the part-time program. Extensions beyond six terms must be approved by the Faculty Graduate Studies Office.
• Program type 
  • Collaborative
  • Master's
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis

• Minimum requirements 
  • The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering requires either (i) a 75% overall standing in the last two years, or equivalent, in a relevant four-year Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent or (ii) a 75% overall standing or equivalent, in a relevant four-year Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent, as the minimum requirement for admission to a Master's program for applicants educated at a Canadian institution. A 75% overall standing or equivalent, in a relevant four-year Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent is the minimum requirement for admission to a Master's program for applicants educated outside of Canada.
  • At the time of admission, each student must have a faculty supervisor who has endorsed the recommendation for admission.
• Application materials 
  • Résumé
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
• References 
  • Number of references:  2
  • Type of references: 

    at least 1 academic

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Thesis option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete at least 5 half credit (0.50 unit weight) courses including 3 core courses and 2 elective courses from the approved lists below:
• Quantum Information core courses:
  • QIC 710 Quantum Information Processing
  • QIC 750/ECE 676 Implementation of Quantum Information Processing
  • QIC 885/ECE 677 Quantum Electronics & Photonics
• 1 of the following electives:
  • ECE 612 Information Theory
  • ECE 604 Stochastic Processes
  • ECE 672 Optoelectronic Devices
  • ECE 720 Special Topics in Computers and Digital Systems Software (2 Cryptographic Computations)
• 1 of the following electives:
  • ECE 633 Nanoelectronics
  • ECE 635 Fabrication of Nanoscale: Techniques & Applications
  • ECE 671 Microwave and RF Engineering
  • ECE 730 Special Topics in Solid State Devices (19 Magnetism and Spintronics, 20 Physics of Nanodevices, 31/QIC 890 Solid-State Photonic Devices)
  • ECE 770 Special Topics in Antenna and Microwave Theory (5 App High Temp Superconduc, 17 Photonics, 21 Quantum Optics & Nanophotonics)
• Quantum Information core courses are interdisciplinary courses designed to provide students with the foundations and applications of quantum information processing, and
  implementations of quantum information processing.
• The choice of courses must meet with the approval of the supervisor.
• Students may be required at any time to withdraw from the program if they fail to maintain a minimum grade of 65% in each of the 5 courses and a cumulative average of at least 70% in the coursework portion of their approved study program or if they fail to receive satisfactory progress reports regarding their research activities.
• The Department may recommend that credit be allowed for courses taken at other institutions. In special cases, 1 course (0.50 unit weight) may be approved.

Link(s) to courses

• Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) courses
• Quantum Information (QIC) courses

Master's Seminar

• Students are required to present a seminar on their thesis topic as part of the degree requirements. The purpose of this seminar is to develop the student's ability to communicate the results of a research work in an organized and informative manner. The seminar is not an oral examination of the thesis. The seminar should be held during the term the thesis is submitted to the readers. The supervisor(s), plus one other Faculty member must be in attendance at the seminar in order for the student to receive credit.

Master’s Thesis

• Students must complete an original research thesis, in Quantum Information.
• The topic of the thesis and the choice of the required 5 courses of graduate coursework are arranged by students and their faculty supervisor. Each student's program is subject to approval by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department. Students must maintain continuous active registration until the thesis requirements are completed. The research work leading to the thesis must be performed under the direction of the faculty supervisor(s) and is finally approved and accepted by at least three readers. The readers will consist of the supervisor(s) plus a minimum of two other faculty members.
• A list of approved Quantum Information thesis supervisors is available on the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering website.